Tagged: 2013 KY General Assembly

Kentucky persistently low-achieving schools would be able to become charter schools to improve performance and test scores under a bill discussed Tuesday in the state Senate Education Committee.

Kentucky is coming closer to closing a loophole that allows amusement ride operators to avoid paying fines for safety violations.

The House Committee on Agriculture and Small Business has approved a bill that requires operators to pay fines regardless of a change in their business's name or ownership. Operators have been able to dodge fines after transferring ownership or renaming themselves, according to Sen. Morgan McGarvey, the bill's sponsor.

A bill addressing problems with last year's prescription pill mill bill has cleared the House Judiciary Committee. House Speaker Greg Stumbo is sponsoring the bill, which reduces some tough regulations that followed the pill mill bill.  The legislation, House Bill 217, requires hospitals and long term care facilities to still pull KASPER reports, but lessens other regulations on them.

The Kentucky Senate is expected to vote on legislation focused on blocking any new federal gun control measures.  The measure is sponsored by Madison County Senator Jared Carpenter.

The House has passed a bill that would require police to take DNA samples from people they arrest on felony charges. The vote was 68 to 27 Thursday. The bill will proceed to the Senate for consideration.

If the measure becomes law, Kentucky would join the federal government and 25 states that take DNA samples from felony arrestees. The U.S. Supreme Court this year will consider the constitutionality of the testing based on a Maryland case.